Page 25 of No Questions Asked

“They’re concerned with the integrity of the data that has to be transmitted from the lab. They want a hands-on person there to ensure protection at every level. I’ve got a team set up in New York, but here we are heading into the rainforest.”

“Fantastic.” She beamed. “Wow. I’m so glad to have you both coming along. It will definitely make Elvis feel better.” She cheerfully tucked her red hair behind her ears. “So, off we go on another adventure together.”

This wasn’t the first time Slash and I had flown abroad with Gwen. The last time the three of us had been on a plane together, we’d been headed toward Egypt with Elvis, trying to track down his estranged father. I hoped this trip would be a lot less stressful than that one had been.

“This flight should go smoothly,” Gwen said, as if reading my mind. “As should the work. It’s going to be great having you both there, experiencing the rainforest with me. I’m so excited to be doing such important work.”

I felt the same about the work, but I wasn’t as confident about the flight as she was—and I had personal past experience to prove just how wrong one could go. But I had to believe this time luck would be on my side with Slash around.

As it turned out, I was right. Sort of.

Chapter Fifteen

Lexi

The flights from DC to Miami and then to the Manaus airport were largely uneventful, and I was deeply grateful for that. I snoozed, read an online coding magazine, and played several hands of gin rummy and poker with Slash. At some point, Gwen was able to switch places with an amenable passenger in our row so she could chat with us. She told us how she got the job from Vaccitex—stopping a protester from committing arson—and what she was told in regards to the work she’d be doing at the field lab. I was especially interested to know about her work as a microbiologist on the project, so she helpfully provided details, which was fascinating even though I knew little about the science behind vaccine development. I appreciated her smarts even more when she explained her contribution using yeast—a special technique she’d been developing and applying to microchips for some time at ComQuest.

It hadn’t always been a bed of roses between Gwen and me. She’d helped her younger sister, Angel, form a club of people inspired by my career trajectory in the IT field. Our first meeting had been an awkward exchange of telling me about a fan club she’d formed for me called the Lexicons and me looking at her in horror. Then she’d made a romantic connection with Elvis Zimmerman, one of my best friends. At first, I’d been skeptical of their relationship, especially because Elvis was involved with someone else at the time. But the more I got to know Gwen and saw her and Elvis together, the more I realized what a good match they made. She was highly intelligent, loyal, and had a bubbly and outgoing personality—and while she was sometimes annoying, she’d brought Elvis out of his shell in a big way. I guessed that’s what love was all about—finding that someone who could take you out of your comfort zone and help you grow and stretch as a person, while making you feel safe and comfortable.

When the captain alerted us we’d be landing in Manaus shortly, I looked out the window so I could view the landscape below. The lush expanse of the rainforest rushed past below us, broken only by low-lying areas of brush, river ways, and occasional villages. Manaus apparently was in a fairly remote location, because I didn’t see many roads or railways leading into the city.

“Look at that gorgeous scenery,” Gwen said in a hushed voice. “Did you know the rainforest hosts the largest concentration of uncontacted indigenous peoples in the world?”

I hadn’t known. But I’d already made contact with previously uncontacted tribes while in Papua New Guinea. If it hadn’t been for Sari—the courageous indigenous woman who had helped me—Finn, Basia and I would have died in the jungle. “That’s fascinating, Gwen.”

“I know.” Gwen leaned forward in her chair. “Unfortunately, those indigenous populations also have scary health statistics. For example, most of the indigenous tribes have high incidences of viral hepatitis, including A, B, C, and D, as well as malaria, tuberculosis, and other contagious diseases. We didn’t know until recently how bad the situation was with the uncontacted tribes due to their fierce desire to remain isolated. As a result, the Brazilian government excluded those tribes from any form of concentrated public health policy.”

Hayden and Lilith hadn’t mentioned that, but I supposed it made sense. “That’s sad, but if that’s what the uncontacted tribes want, why would the government force medicine upon them with the vaccine?”

“Because that’s not what they want anymore,” Gwen explained. “Their people are dying, Lexi. Malaria has wiped out two thirds of their infants and children, and they can’t stop it. Additional diseases are razing their populations despite their efforts to remain uncontacted. So, they asked for help...and here we are. Brazil has made a national commitment to help as part of a larger effort to help preserve the tribes’ culture and existence. The malaria vaccine is a first step toward preserving their way of life. If it works, the next step is Africa, then Asia, and then anywhere else that malaria remains a problem. So many millions of lives could be saved.”

“The world is becoming more interconnected all the time,” Slash murmured. “Walls, physical barriers, blockades are no longer effective. Isolation is nearly impossible. We are becoming more connected as a human species every day.”

“It means we have to take care of each other,” Gwen answered. “It’s that simple.”

I absorbed their words and their implication. It was a lot to think about, and I felt increasing pressure to make sure Vaccitex got the support it needed to ensure the vaccine would be distributed at cost to all people who needed it—especially to those who couldn’t afford it. I had a small part to play, but I certainly didn’t want to be the hole that caused the dam to break.

Houses, roads and more signs of civilization appeared beneath the aircraft, indicating we were entering the city limits of Manaus. I held my breath as we landed, my hands clutching the hand rests. Slash kept a hand lightly on my knee, just heavy enough to remind me he was there, without heightening my anxiety or drawing attention to the fact that I was petrified and having flashbacks of a plane crash in the jungle.

When the wheels finally touched the runway and the plane began to slow, I exhaled a huge sigh of relief. We were on the ground safe and sound and in one piece. I refrained from clapping and instead exchanged a glance with Slash, who understood my relief and patted me on the knee.

After we exited the aircraft, Slash, Gwen and I stood in line to go through customs. While we were waiting our turn, a tall man with a thick mustache and dark hair walked along the line, scanning faces. When his gaze fell on me, he quickened his step and approached us.

“Good evening,” he said to me. “Are you Lexi Carmichael?”

“I am.”

“It’s nice to make your acquaintance. I am Joao Diaz, the Assistant Protocol Minister for Brazil. On behalf of our government, we welcome you to our country. I presume you’re Miss Sinclair and Mr. Fortuna.”

Slash and Gwen nodded, and we all shook hands. “I was instructed to meet you and smooth the way through customs,” Mr. Diaz explained. “I understand one of you has the satellite phones.”

“I do,” Gwen said patting the orange duffel that had been thrown over her shoulder. “They’re in here.”

I looked in surprise at Gwen. “Why do we need satellite phones?”

“Apparently, they’re required at the research site, as there’s almost no cell phone coverage outside of Coari,” she explained. “I was instructed to carry them in for the team. They’re the only way to communicate, as well as use GPS, when we’re at the lab and in the field.”

I considered that interesting piece of information. Protecting sensitive data in such a primitive setting was going to be a real challenge for Slash and me.

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